Olympic champion Sally Gunnell OBE will be taking centre stage as host and special guest at the School Travel Awards 2026. We caught up with her as she reflected on her remarkable journey from an Essex farm to Olympic gold — and shared why the lessons learned when things don’t go to plan are often the most valuable of all.
Sally’s world-beating performances on the track have been an inspiration to many, and she continues to empower others through public speaking and her Life’s Hurdle wellbeing platform. As she tells us, it is often through going out of our comfort zones that we learn the most.
“I want to instil in people that they can have the confidence and ability to really achieve something in their lives.”
Sally is best known for her success in the 400-metre hurdles event, winning an Olympic gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and following that up by setting a new World Record at the Stuttgart World Championships in 1993. During this remarkable period in her athletics career, Sally also took gold at both the European and Commonwealth games, making her the only British athlete to hold all four ‘major’ titles at the same time.
Asked how it felt to stand at the top of the podium in Barcelona, Sally said: “Do you know, it’s one of the most asked questions, but it’s one of the hardest ones to reply to because, at the time, it doesn’t actually feel like it’s happening. It’s almost like an out of body experience.
“You’ve had all the build up, you’ve gone out there and performed but nobody prepares you for this bit afterwards and you just cannot take it in.
“But you’re on cloud nine. It’s just the most incredible feeling and there’s a bit of disbelief of how have I managed to do this. It’s all very strange.”
Her route to sporting success started at a young age, when her coach spotted her potential at 14 and the hard work and commitment to athletics began. Training three times a week took Sally from her home on the family farm in Essex to Crystal Palace, where she trained with other aspiring athletes. And although she loved the training and the camaraderie of her team-mates, the journey to Olympic victory wasn’t all plain sailing.
Sally told us: “In hindsight, you realise that the bits you learn are when things go wrong. You fail nearly every day on the training pitch, but that’s how I learned. Sport has definitely taught me that there’s always a way. I’m a bit of a fixer which sometimes drives people made.
“Sometimes people see you in a certain light but often it’s about showing the struggles you’ve been through and how you have overcome them.”
“But it’s the same for kids as well – it’s about building that confidence and stepping outside of our comfort zone and being surprised at what you can do.
“I think so many people, including kids, listen to the negative voice that’s in our heads and it’s about learning to control that voice in our head and question, well why can’t I do that? The more life skills you pick up and the more experience you have, that resilience and confidence builds up.”
Sharing her own experiences of school, and training, Sally recalls going to lots of championships on her own: “Within a few minutes on the bus, you’d realise everyone else is in the same boat and you realise the best bit of the trip is that you’ve met new friends and you’re chatting away with them.”
It was certainly a busy and intense period for an aspiring young athlete. Sally told us: “We were travelling three days a week up to Crystal Palace, which was about an hour away so that was a big commitment in itself. I loved the social side of training and competing, the camaraderie.
“When I look back, it was like a series of stepping stones. Even though I dreamt about being an Olympic champion at 14, it’s not something that happens every day. Then winning a Commonwealth Games at 20. And then I think four years before Barcelona I came fifth in the Olympics. That was quite a turning point, I began thinking in four years time maybe I could do this…”
Quickfire questions…
Which destinations are special to you?
I’ve enjoyed going back to places like Barcelona and Zurich – where I competed – to see them properly. We’ve recently come back from Canada which I absolutely loved. I think I went for the Commonwealth Games but of course, didn’t see anything really, Alaska was the same - that was incredible. I’ve still got lots of places in my bucket list.
What do you love about travelling?
It’s always been part of my life with training camps etc, we were always away a lot. I work hard and my reward is to go somewhere nice and experience it. It’s my big birthday this year and so we’re going back to Florida with all the kids and partners.
What can our guests expect from you at the ceremony?
I think it’s being honest. Sometimes people see you in a certain light but often it’s about showing the struggles you’ve been through and how you have overcome them. I want to instil in people that they can have the confidence and ability to really achieve something in their lives.
Sally Gunnell OBE is the 2026 host and special guest for the School Travel Awards ceremony which takes place on Friday 20th November at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.
The lunch and ceremony is the culmination of months of nominating, entering, voting and judging, and when all the winners will be announced.
For ticket and event information, visit: schooltravelorganiser.com/tickets
